ArhiFF:Destiny Games # thread 1 - Page 31

Vi this is sheer torture I wont spare u update this soon an chekmate after that I need this ASAP otherwise will give u virtual smack

Originally posted by: abavi

From the author's desk: I have been wondering a little if I should give Kushi's background first or the proclaimed promo scene... then I decided the former would be better- strong foundations are always better to understand the character's point of view! so here comes- the much awaited entry of our very own Kushi

 

Happy reading!

 

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Chapter 3: The first impressions

 

Part 1: All the roads lead to...

 

 

 

Kushi watched with helpless puzzlement at the bizarre event happening in front of her eyes. She couldnt believe that her father was fighting with a man who looked like a security guard in front of this big mansion.  She didnt know why he had dragged her to this place and on top of it, she thought he has totally lost his sanity- he was arguing that this place belonged to him and daring the security guard to let him in.

 

 

She couldnt fathome what had happened to her generally composed and rational father- this evening was turning very strange- it seemed nothing but an ordinary evening when she as usual sent the tuition kids out of their small single room cottage and put on a pan in the stove to cook dinner for her father and herself, whistling to herself. Her usually prompt father was late than usual that evening, leaving her to wonder what had happened to him- and he had been back only after it grew dark- and on top of it she found to her utter shock that he was drunk! 

 

 

Kushi had always been a content girl- she was content with what life had offered her- After her mother's death, her father had been her mother as well, He was a very compassionate and kind man- and he would often say that his only aim in life was to give Kushi a wealthy life that she deserved- It seemed that it was what he considered as a pay back to her mother- who was from a very wealthy family- she eloped with him after they fell in love.

 

 

As much as her mother had a happy and content life with her father and her, their little princess- her very happy life with her father was cut short due to his poverty and inability to treat her illness- he was not able to handle her medical expenses when she fell seriously ill. Her father was always guilty that he had taken away all the comforts that her mother was used to before she married him- and that guilt only enhanced to a larger level when her mother died on her illness. So it became his aim- an obessive goal in his life to strive and give Kushi, his daughter back to that rich society from which he had snatched away his wife.

 

 

As much as Kushi would smile at his life's goal and point out to him about the near impossibility of her getting married to a wealthy person whenever he would bring up this topic when they both would sit together at the small step in front of their little but cosy cottage during their late night talks - He would argue passionately about how he would acheive it. Kushi later started taking her father's passion on her stride- pointing out to him that she would rather get married to someone who is from the same background as theirs and then continue doing what she liked to do rather than being a caged bird in a Rich man's house.

 

 

This was their normal routine, the father and daughter would sit in that small step, having their meagre but wonderfully cooked dinner and talk for hours into the night about everything under the sun. Kushi who had been looking forward to their usual evening that day was shocked when she saw he father walking in so drunk- to the point that he was not even able to stand steady. One kind man who lived in the neighbourhood had noticed him on the road and had brought him home.

 

 

She later found out from that person that her father got into a fight with some people near the club house where he would frequent lately for his card games.  That was the only thing that she hated about her father- cards - but it was something that he had cultivated recently - and he would always promise her that it was only a stress busting activity and he wouldnt get very serious about it... and she let him play occasionally- but she did suspect he went there very often- without telling her- like today.

 

 

But getting into a fight in that place and then getting drunk- was too much. She had mentally noted to tell him fiercely the next day morning when he would be sober to never step into that place again. She thanked that man and brought her father in.

 

 

From his incoherent talks, she was able to gather that some one had asked him for her hand and he hadnt agreed. Then the people around had mocked his desire to marry her off to a wealthy person- riling him up with saying that she would grow old without getting married at all- or he still wants her to live a wealthy life- may be he can sell her off as a mistress to a wealthy old man...

 

 

The fight should have grown to point of insanity that her father should have grown very insecure and taken himself to drinking- she decided.

 

 

As she made him sit and tried in vain to bring him back to senses, he had got up all of a sudden shouting that he would show to the world that he is capable of finding his daughter a suitable man- who would marry her and give her the dignity that she deserved. He kept promising her that she would be the wife of a rich young man- capable of giving her all the happiness in the world. She agreed with what he was telling her, in an attempt to control him as she made him sit down, turning back to go and fetch his dinner- But then he suddenly grew excited as he got up and ran to the almirah standing at one corner.

 

 

"I will show the world- right now- that I can find you a suitable groom- Infact I have found you a suitable groom" he shouted with exhilaration.

 

"yes I completely trust that you can find me the best groom in this world.. Now sit and have dinner" she said as she filled his plate and brought it to him.

 

She looked baffled as she watched her father open his small suitcase in the

almirah where he stored his few valuables and took out a  paper which looked like a bond. She placed his plate on the small worn out study table which doubled as their dining table sometimes and tried to see that bond.

When her father realised that she was close to him, he grew secretive as he folded it back immediately.

 

 

She had demanded to know what it was -- but he was in no mood to listen- he had carefully wrapped the bond inside a plastic cover and put it inside his shirt which was muddled due to the fight that he had picked up early in the evening. He then ventured to go out somewhere in that state when she tried to make him see sense... Not willing to send him alone at this state and late hour- fearing that he would get into more trouble, she had rushed after him not having the luxury of time to change into a decent dress. She wrapped a duppatta around her night shirt and ran after her father as her night skirt flapped against her ankles.

 

It was sometime before her father noticed her following him - But instead of protesting he only smiled at her

 

"I know you would like to see your future husband-- come along" he said puzzling her further
 "Where are you going? what insanity is this? father, what happened to you? Its about to rain, come lets go back home, We shall come back again tomorrow" she kept hissing at him as he clutched her wrist tightly and walked ahead taking a turn towards a locality which was so different in contrast to the locality that they lived- in terms of magnificience and wealth.

 

 

Kushi had never seen him drunk- never seen him this insane and uncontrollable and was completely at loss what to do to make him submissive as she continued to let him drag her, helplessly- towards where he was taking her. Soon she had noticed him stopping at the large gate of a big mansion- - or was it a palace of some sort?  it looked magnificient...

 

 

Then she had heard her father tell her that this was going to be her sasural- She looked at her father as if he had gone mad and started pulling him out as it started to rain. Kushi's grip on her father loosened as it slipped due to the rain, and he plunged forward and opening the gates, walked rightfully into the private lane bordered by carefully trimmed bushes which extented further into neatly maintained garden on both sides - which lead to the mansion's front portico. 

 

 

Kushi snapped back from her shock at her drunk father's alcohol induced behaviour and ran after him as she saw two men approaching them from the building- She was scared that her father would be beaten up as she hurried to his side- to apologise when she realised that one of them was the security guard and the other was an auto fellow.

 

 

Neither the incessent rains not the angry security guard hamper her father's folly as she observed that he started arguing with absurd points like the mansion belonged to him.

 

 

She watched petrified as her father shoved the security guard into the muddy slippery garden path, she watched as the security guard groaned as he fell into one of the bushes and strived hard to get up as her fatehr laughed wildly and rushed towards the front doors. She wondered if she should help the security guard up or stop her father- then decided on the latter as she ran behind him. 

 

She ordered her father sternly to stop all the bakwas and go back home with her, as they both reached the front portico leading to splendidly carved wooden doors to the mansion. Temporarily relived from the pouring rains, her father gave her a lopsided smile and denied to go back home with her and turned towards the doors- the security guard joined them that instant, ordering both of them to get out.

 

 

Then all of a sudden the front doors opened. All the ruksus that they were making should have woken up the inmates, she thought helplessly as she looked wide eyed as the magnificient doors were opened to reveal a young man, well dressed even with a lateness of the hour, staring at them all with peircing, curious eyes.

 

So they have met... Are first impressions always the best?

meet you all with another update soon... take care

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Index

 

Previous: Warning Signs

Next: yet to be posted

From the author's desk:Ok, as some of you threatened me to update this first and then checkmate, here I am with this update... Now dont start smacking me for real... the next update would be surely after Checkmate update... and No I am a very sweet girl who dont know what vengence is 😉

Happy reading!

Chapter 3: The First Impressions

He had been there when Ajay Raizada , Kiranmayi Raizada and Charumathi Raizada were born, He had taught the young Ajay Raizada how to play cricket, secretly taken him to the once upon a time clear,small and cool lake to teach him swimming just because Ajay felt it was shameful to learn from the trainer when his cousins were better at it, he had accompanied young little girls charumathi and Kiranmayi as a guard when they went to school, He had been there when the elderly Virender Raizada, Ajay's grandfather died.

He had been there when Ajay fell in love and later brought home his beautiful bride, Ratna Singh, he was a happy witness when his Ajay babu became a father... He had shared the pain with the family when the bahu of the house died leaving a new born baby who looked no less than a pari and 3 very young sons devastated.  He had seen young Arnav, Akaash, NK and Anjali grow up - he had taught them all the things that he had fondly taught their father, he had seen Ajay- turn into someone whom he didnt recognise at all... and now he was living to see the nightmare of this highly empire that he worshipped- crumble all around him.

The family meant more to him than mere employers- He had lived with them for the major part of his life- No almost all his life... they found him his woman, Jalaja, helped him financially to educate his sons Hari Prakash and Om Prakash, and even now provided a job for his sons too...

So the inmates of Raizada mansion was literally decendants of gods for him- and it ached to see them suffer like this... His long association with the family had inflected upon him a loyal and ardent affection for the inmates of the family. That is why it agonised him when he thought what the family has been reduced to.

The vast forests that the family once owned, the small lake where he would take little Ajay for swimming, their summer mansion, Their big winter bunglow at the top of the hill- which was surrounded by the cosmos of their tea estates- The sheesh Mahal, their anscestory home and numerous other mansions some so high such that it had a spectacular view of the city, some with breath taking wide golf courts- some with serene swimming pools- everything either already gone or mortgaged... it was with these worried thoughts that he had started his usual routine to check all the doors of the mansion, using his master key chain, He had no idea when they all heard that squabble outside, that he was opening the doors to further trouble for his beloved Arnav babu - If he had known, he would have never opened it at all- but things happen for a reason dont they?

There was this dirty and drunk fellow who was laughing wildly who was accompanied by a pitieous and puny young girl- with pale features and terrified expression staring at him . His first impression was that this drunk man had entered their gates in his drunken state by mistake. He quickly put out his hand to effectively stop Payal who had curiously come forward to see for herself what the noise was about.

"Stay in" he hushed at her and then nodding at his brother, he quickly took a few steps, aimed at intimidating the mad man.

"What is happening here Bankelal? " he asked his recruit, but the girl answered him with a confident voice that surprised him at first- her voice didnt go with her pitious frame or her shivering self.

Arnav looked at the petite figure in front of him, his curious eyes making her uneasy, and despite being completely wet she was trying hard to protect her modesty with her thin wet dupatta. He decided that probably this was a usual habit of this man to get drunk and get lost in his way to be rescued by one of his family members. he would have inclined to have some pity on the girl just as to reprimand the man with police threats and then send him away- so that he wouldnt try and get drunk again for a day or two- but the man's angry voice beckoned his attention.

"I didnt lose my way... I am where I want to be- this is my mansion" Shashi bellowed easing himself out of Kushi's grip.

"You dont believe me do you? I will see who is going to mock at me at the end of this- I have a bond which is legally signed by Ajay Raizada- who owned this mansion before... call him and ask... I want to see him - he will tell you that this is my mansion" Shashi beemed at Arnav- tapping his chest where he had secured the bond.

These words undid it for Arnav- as a dread slowly started creeping his veins. Ramu Kakka and Akaash who were standing a few steps away gasped. Was this yet another of their father's reckless acts?

Things started to happen so quickly after that, The security guard was silenced and sent back to the gates while, Arnav gestured Ramu kakka to bring the man and his frail companion inside- a mad and eccentric Shashi marched through the beautifully carved doors into the great hall of the mansion with superiority that would have extracted giggles from Anjali or Payal if the situation was so different... They all stared at the weird man as he called out Ajay's name aloud.

"My father passed away five days before" Arnav told as his eyes flashed with impatience, pain and anger.

"Father, come lets go home" Kushi spoke out again in a pleading voice, as she shivered, both from the cold and the massiveness of the hall where she stood.

"I am sad he died- its very unfortunate. He was a nice man. " he said feeling genuinely sorry- may be more successful in putting forth his pretense feelings than most of his father's friends Arnav thought.

"So have you come here to give us condolences this late at night?" NK prodded him a little, more bothered about packing the lot out of the mansion sooner than encouraging a small talk.

 
Hmm.. so what do you all think? Did Ramu Kakka get lucky to get a glimpse of the hone wale elder bahu of the third generation Raizada that night?